Selecting Baby's Gender

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: Third Time May Be the Charm

A mother, a father, a son, and a daughter — what could be better? Hollywood's picture of the perfect family usually involves one child of each gender. Television and movies often perpetuate the image — you have Brenda and Brandon from the original 90210, Serena and Eric on Gossip Girl, and Ross and Monica on Friends. But a balance between the sexes isn't always in the cards. While there are countless myths about influencing the sex of a child, and science may allow parents to undergo procedures to determine a baby's gender, most parents are simply happy to have healthy children in their arms.

That doesn't always stop prying friends and family from asking about future children. When a colleague recently gave birth to her second son, the first words out of a friend's mouth were, "Now you can try for the girl!" She has been stopped by people on the street commenting how special the relationship is between a mother and daughter and someone even asked her if she was sorry she saved all of her Barbie dolls from her childhood.

If you had two boys or girls did you — or would you — have a third child in hopes of bringing a child of the opposite gender into the family?

I'm a mother of a daughter and my boyfriend has admitted to being a little disappointed when we found out because he was really hoping for boy. But he quickly got really excited about having a girl. If we end up having another one I know he'll be hoping for a boy again and I would too, but if we end up with just girls we'd we happy. I don't want more than 2 kids, no matter what the next one may be.

I have two boys and I adore them. But, honestly, I will try for a girl. If it's a boy,I get it. I'm meant to mother sons.

5 years

We had somewhat of the opposite issue! We had a boy, followed by a girl. Then when we said we were planning and then having a 3rd, everyone questioned why we'd want to mess up our "perfect little family"? Really?! What's getting messed up? We want 3 kids and are very happy to have them. We never found out ahead of time what any of them were and were overjoyed when we had each of them. Before kids I actually thought I wanted 3 boys, but now with 1 boy and 2 girls, I'm very happy. I think the only thing that I'd wish for if we were doing the same over is to be sure that we had 2 of whichever together, not boy girl boy, or girl boy girl. We have a boy and then 2 girls and I think it'd be a little harder with one of the genders stuck between the others.

5 years

I am having my 4th girl. I kinda get annoyed when people ask me iif I want a boy,umm I don't have any control over it.

I'm pregnant for the first time and don't know the sex yet, so this is a really interesting concept. I imagine once I know the sex our little family may feel unbalanced and beg for another addition. Of course, I need to get through this pregnancy first :)

5 years

And I wanted & got two girls. I have to confess I did a couple of old and not so old-wives-taley things to make this happen: drank cranberry juice, gave up meat, and had sex from the end of my period until 2 days before ovulation.

5 years

I just had my second son 3 weeks ago, and that is exactly what I wanted. Two boys. I do not feel the need to try for a girl, I'm not that type of person.